Lifestyle Blog

Sunday 16 December 2012

Klassy Nails ....

Instant nail wraps are a beauty item I have wanted to try for quite sometime, and no better time then now my beautician has had a little bambino as I am left to fend for myself in the nail department.

Initially I did think they were going to be a bit of a gimmick and result in a sticky mess with the wraps being stuck any where except my actual nails ( flash back to a previous stick on nail encounter... cue my fabulous beautician who always makes my nails look fabulous) .
But now is the time to stand on my own independent pedicured toes and try out the latest craze to hit the nail design industry.

As I am sure you are aware aside from sparkles and girlie things I am a lover of  celebrities, and love it when my favourite celebs bring out fashion and beauty items inspired by their style for us less famous people to get our hands on.
At first I was unaware that singer and business women Myleene Klass had her very own range of nail wraps but once I knew I just had to try them out .


Coming home to a parcel is exciting enough, but my excitement hit an all time high when I discovered that the nail wraps did in fact have a christmas theme !

The first red and white set have a pretty little christmas pattern with the edition of little white reindeers making them the perfect way to finish off any festive outfit, these were the wraps I tried for this blog as I wanted to save the others for Christmas Day. 

The second set are perfect for those who are watching what you eat this festive season or if just like my you actually don't like christmas pudding but still think they look just a little bit cute. They are tipped with  a white topping and finished off with holly and berries that literally look edible .. No nibbling though please. 

What I really loved with these sets is that they literally come with all you need to transform your nails into little wrapped parcels, having 24 wraps is really useful as it means you can have two applications and still have  extras in case you bodge one or need to quickly replace one. 
The set also comes with a Myleene Klass nail file which I found to be really durable and a nice large size meaning its really easy to use. Its fabulous quality also means it is going to be a new edition to my make up bag and one that sure wont need replacing for a while . 

Now on to the nails ...
Before 

I was so amazed at how easy these wraps were to apply, their simple instructions were clear and concise and the application was quick and mess free without a miss stuck wrap in site. 
Once I had selected the correct size wrap for each nail I simply peeled each one from the packet and starting at my cuticle stuck the wrap onto my nail . As you can see above my ring finger shows the after  effect and I have to say I am rather impressed. To get rid of the excess bit of wrap all you have to do it fold it over the end of your nail and file in a downward motion until it comes aways ... It really couldn't be any easier. 

Top Tip... To ensure your nails last my top tip would have to be to ensure you firmly stick all of the wrap down paying particular attention to the corners at the end of your nails, as this is where I found them to mostly likely catch and subsequently begin to peel away. 

One thing I always struggle with when doing my  own nails is painting my right hand as the end result is often one that is smudged and rather shaky looking, that was not the case with these wraps as their easy to manage application made it so simple to stick the wraps on both my right and left hand. 

After 


I really am so pleased with the end result of using these nail wraps and will most certainly use them again, I also really love how quickly I would be able to change the design by peeling them off and replacing them with a different design . It would also be really easy to alternate the designs to create a really on trend look and also combine them with a simple polish for a real statement design.

Have you tried nails wraps yet? ... Would love to know what you thought of them .
Love Liv

Tis The Season To Accessorize ....

Like a Magpie I am always drawn to sparkly things and my obsession with sparkles and accessories led me to discover Beju Accessories. This Liverpool based boutique not only offers fabulous jewellery and accessories but are also the nicest people I have had the pleasure of contacting ( a reason in its self to want to purchase from them now and again in the future).

Apologies now for not blogging for a while but those who follow me on Twitter / Facebook no that I have finally got home for christmas so the last week has mostly consisted of  manic festivities ; but with mince pies and mulled wine in reach I have finally found a spare 5 mins to tell you about these fabulous items.

After literally being in a glitter filled heaven I chose 3 items from their gorgeous range which I just had to review on here to tell you about them .

Now I am going to be perfectly honest, I am not normally one to buy things off the internet ( I no I need to get with the times ) but I am such a hands on person I love to physically pick up and feel things before I buy them. Also from past experience when I have shopped online I have been disappointed with the quality of the products.
That can't be said however for the goodies I got from Beju Accessories, as the second I tore open the packaging  ( I was just to excited to come home to them ) I was really pleased with their quality and knew it would be somewhere I would buy from in the future .

So now for the exciting bit ..... My new accessories which made it feel like christmas had come that little bit earlier.


Never one to be without a handbag it could quite easily be said I am rather obsessed with them, normally for me bigger is better but more recently I have tried to save my poor old back and opted for a smaller version which allows me to pack only the bare essentials.

I decided on this black clutch bag which being a staple colour would go with any outfit and could be used casually in the day with its optional strap or look edgy and chic for a night on the tiles. This strap feature is so useful as I have found most other clutch's to not have them, which is a pain if your out shopping or having a boogie and needs your hands free.


I first loved the skull print when I saw it on on a Alexander McQueen scarf and have been wanting to get my hands on it ever since .
Despite not being ultra sparkly I love how the studs give the clutch added glamour making it that little bit more feminine yet still giving it a rock chick vibe. The clutch does up with a magnetic clasp so a quick and easy way to get into the bag, once inside their is a  zip side pocket which is perfect for my mobile so I can always find it and then 2 smaller side pouches perfect for storing things.




Without wanting to look like a chameleon in all the same colour I do like to wear matching accessories and thought this bracelet would compliment my new clutch perfectly . Black and gold is always a colour I love to wear and I think it always looks really chic, I love the snake skin print on the black part of this cuff; its added detail like this I look for when buying accessories to make it unique and something that extra bit special . 

Last but not least was my super sparkly ring which is enough to dazzle the darkest winter evening. 
I did however have to use the photograph from Beju's Facebook page as I clearly need a better camera with a flash that can cope with the amount of sparkles on this ring . 

Its heart shape design was so girlie and eye catching it was a sure addition to my accessories collection, its elasticated band meant it could fit on each of my fingers so I could wear it on its own or with other rings . This type of band  is also really useful if you find it hard to find rings that fit, I find this a particular problem when they have the tags looped through them in shops making the rings a complete different size when you cut off the tag... So with this ring problem solved :) 

As you can see Beju Accessories comes highly recommended and I will definitely be buying from them in the future, if your lucky enough to live near or in Liverpool then  pop into their shop if not check out their fabulous goodies online via their Facebook page or Website.
All of their accessories would make perfect pressies for christmas including stocking fillers, secret santa or just if you need to glam up for your works Christmas party. 

But ALWAYS  remember accessories are for life not just for Christmas so be sure to check their sites for updates all year round and let 2013 and beyond glitter . 


Love Liv xXx  

Monday 3 December 2012

A Royal Congratulations

Congratulations to Kate and Will on the announcement that they will be expecting their first baby. xXx

Sunday 2 December 2012

London + Department Stores = Best Christmas Displays EVER

So today has been spent wading my way through text books in the hope to get lots of work done .
I am proud to say apart from getting distracted by Christmas song countdowns and the odd Christmas movie thrown I in I actually got quite a bit done ... Go Me !

After a productive day I am also feeling even more festive and to my delight I was at the point of festively exploding when I came across this article on the Mail Online  .
In a explosion of colour and all that sparkles it shows off the spectacular window displays of London's department stores in the wake of the festive season, and is enough to make anyone feel just a little bit Christmassy .
I hope you enjoy the photos and I hope they make you feel as magical as they did for me ... Its definitely made me want to pop along to London to see them for myself .
Well done to our capital city who once again have made me proud to be British .. 2013 you have a lot to live up to !!


I was in fact lucky enough to experience a very similar design as this yesterday when I visited the Harvey Nichols store in Manchester . This array of eye catching colours and designs of London's Harvey Nichols makes me squeal with excitement and gives me the urge to want to dress up in an assortment of colours and do a little dance.
Selfridges was another store I popped into yesterday to see what festive treats they had to offer , and despite opting for a more pastel palette inspired window display I still think it looks fabulous . For me their visual merchandising takes a more traditional approach playing on the more vintage theme that is so in at the moment .

This is another wonderfully designed window from Selfridges and with all of these festive displays minimalism was definitely not on anyones Christmas list this year . With so much to look its literally like being a small child again and if your anything like me it gives me butterflies in my tummy and makes me super excited.
Of course no christmas would be complete without a scrumptious gingerbread house and all thanks to Selfridges they have produced the biggest one I have ever seen ... Christmas hats off to you fabulous people.

My favourite by far however, has to be Harrods; their displays combines Disney Princesses with Christmassy elements and if you ask me it cant get any more magical. Their breathtaking designs have literally out shone them all with each Princess outfit being designed by top designers such as Roberto Cavalli and Valentino can it get any better ?

 Ralph Lauren allows you to step into the wintery world of Narniaesque theme,  its elegant display makes me feel like a snow queen and its icy white appearance makes me want to reach out for my fur coat (faux fur don't worry ) and prance around in a flurry of snow.

Hope this made even the scrooges out their just a little bit christmassy.

Love Liv xXx

Happy Sunday Angels xXx